Calm and relaxed in his stall after practice, you’d hardly believe Brian McGrattan was the same player.

Less than 24 hours before, the 31-year-old Calgary Flames forward was revving up Sunday’s Scotiabank Saddledome crowd following his fight with Vancouver Canucks tough guy Tom Sestito. Heart racing, adrenalin pumping, he wrapped things up with an entertaining salute, too, which was still all the chatter at the rink on Monday morning.

But, following a good bout (his first NHL fight in over a year), a good game, and a good sleep, McGrattan’s debut was behind him and he was onto a new day.

“I was excited,” said McGrattan who earned the team’s fireman’s hat after the 4-2 win — his first in a Flames jersey (again). “Back in a place I loved to play before. A fresh start on the second half of the season.

“I made some phone calls to my wife and my parents — they were pretty excited. A nice relaxing night when I got home.”

Of course home, at the moment, is a bit of a loose term for McGrattan.

Having only been re-acquired by the Flames last week from the Nashville Predators, the six-foot-four, 235-pounder has temporarily moved into a hotel room. Upon his arrival, his role was clear — to give the club a tougher presence. Like he did during his first stint with the club in 2009-10, he immediately proved his worth Sunday night.

But now three years older and wiser, the well-travelled journeyman who has played with Ottawa, Phoenix, Calgary, and Nashville admittedly returns a more mature person and player.

“I’ve been through some ups and downs career-wise but just kind of stayed on the same path,” McGrattan said. “I always felt if you work hard and have a good attitude, the right situations will come your way. It has in the past couple years. I got married in the summer and she (Michelle) has been a big part of my life in the last two years. My backbone.

“So, everything has been good.”

His strength has also been evident through his sobriety — nearly four and half years clean.

A former member of the National Hockey League Players Association’s substance abuse program, McGrattan is now using his experiences to help others.

“Obviously, I went through the NHL substance abuse program on the other side of it,” he said. “I’ve been doing a lot of work away from the rink, talking to groups and treatment centres. I’ve helped out a couple players. Me and (former Nashville Predators forward) Jordan Tootoo last year . . . he’s in recovery too. We kind of helped each other. I was approached by the league and some doctors to do some work with that. I know some players have some issues, so this will be a good opportunity to maybe pursue a career after hockey.”

At the season’s end last year, doctors from the NHLPA and the NHL suggested he join the program as a mentor — something which he didn’t have during his battle with alcohol abuse.

“I kind of had to do it on my own,” said McGrattan, who voluntarily entered the league’s substance abuse and behavioural health program in December of 2008. “Hopefully (addictions) won’t happen but chances are, it might and it would be easier for a player to connect with someone like me than a person in management or a doctor.

“Just listening is the important thing . . . it’s going to be a good opportunity.”

At the moment, Calgary is lucky to have him too — and after Sunday’s game, fans likely feel the same way.

McGrattan’s salute (“Kind of an adrenalin thing. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that one before,” he said Monday) drew raucous approval, but the gesture also earned him an extra 10-minute misconduct.

Which no one, including the boss, seemed to mind.

“No, no, no. I loved the salute,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “He makes us feel good. He makes us feel bigger. I’m sure the other team are sitting on their bench not as comfortable, that’s for sure ... I think he’s a pretty good fit for us.

And, so far, vice versa — again.

“It’s a good feeling,” McGrattan said. “Especially in Canada, too. It’s a lot different than some of the other places I’ve played. The emotion and the intensity in the arena is a lot higher than it is in a lot of places . . . the crowd was really loud.”

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McGrattan’s salute sums up the confident toughness Hartley wants the Flames to have

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